A new year brings a new stitch

The time is now, my friends, to set those goals with pattern experimenting and new stitches.

Crochet, this year, will appear to be more home décor gift items and select apparel, if you can accommodate.

After almost 21 years of crocheting and focusing on trying to please customers, I know it’s helpful to offer as much “Homemade in America” merchandise as possible. It’s not only especially important to us, but to those who are interested in purchasing our handmade work or receiving what we make as gifts.

Visions

Are visions of winter still dancing through your head? Well, there’s still time to set those hooks and needles to work, making classic crocheted collars for those low necklines, gloves, mittens, scarves, hats (to match), socks, cardigans, two-piece outfits, coats and dresses. Is it stretching your vision?

Making your crocheted gifts “extra special”

Know your recipient. If it’s a friend or member of your family, that shouldn’t be a problem. You’ll already know that person’s favorite color, needs, personal tastes or clothing size. There are many occasions we don’t know someone well enough and need to find out as much as possible about them and choose our hand-made gift accordingly.

Package your gift attractively. Be creative. The department store doesn’t have to do everything.

My cup runneth over

Some say crochet is a skill, but believe me, it is an art.

As long as I have been crocheting, in the past few weeks I learned of “new” stitches I had never heard of before. I really mean it. Just as a painter learns new brush strokes, now, I can say “My cup runneth over” with more knowledge of the art of crochet. You can say the same if you let your mind grow stitch by stitch.

Crochet requires knowledge of different stitches with the ability to understand the pattern terminology. I believe there is a wide range of crochet ability out there, from beginners to experts. With determination, even a beginner can tackle a challenging project. The secret is patience.

Have you noticed the skill level rating of patterns? Can you do it or can you not?

Your level of ability?

Easy-to-make: Basic stitches and directions.

Intermediate: Basic stitches, plus those a little more difficult.

Advanced: Maybe all stitches, plus basic ones, but don’t talk on your cell phone at the same time. It could be tricky.

Love, Love, Love

Love makes the world go around. No better time to set those hooks and needles humming than to show your love this month. A Valentine gift, in any form, crocheted straight from the heart would be appreciated by many.

If you’re anything like me, you have in your mind a gigantic storage bin of ideas to make your crochet the best possible.

That’s what heads were invented for … the storage of ideas. Hands were made to implement those ideas.

The end result of the swing of the hook can be lovely to look at and just as lovely to touch.